Good morning everyone. It has already been an extremely busy morning of news. The United States reportedly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz, and now Iran has done exactly that. Meanwhile Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the quiet part out loud by openly attacking the press and saying he can’t wait for CNN to be sold. The US has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil, more American service members have been killed in the conflict, and Donald Trump said it is his “honor” to kill Iranian leaders while simultaneously fundraising off the war.
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Here’s the news:
- According to CNN, the Trump administration reportedly underestimated the possibility that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes. Officials believed Iran would avoid doing so because it would harm Iran’s own economy more than the United States. As a result, the scenario was not fully planned for during the administration’s strategy discussions. Sources tell CNN that President Trump relied on a small circle of advisers, which limited broader interagency debate about the economic consequences. Although the Energy and Treasury Departments were involved, detailed economic analysis that previous administrations typically used in similar decisions played a smaller role.
- Iran’s closure of the strait has created major disruption in global energy markets. Oil tanker companies have requested US Navy escorts through the waterway, but the Pentagon has said it is currently too dangerous due to Iranian drones, missiles, and sea mines.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attacked media coverage of the Iran conflict, arguing that headlines like “Mideast War Intensifies” are misleading and should instead read that Iran is “increasingly desperate.” He also lashed out at CNN, saying it spreads “fake news,” and added, “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.” The remark drew criticism for openly pressuring a news outlet’s ownership and attacking the press while serving as the nation’s top civilian defense official.
- According to Axios, President Trump told G7 leaders during a virtual meeting that Iran was “about to surrender,” but also said there were no remaining officials in Tehran with the authority to formally make that decision, suggesting the country lacked clear leadership capable of announcing a surrender.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s leadership has gone into hiding and mocked them as “rats,” claiming the country’s new supreme leader is wounded, possibly disfigured, and lacks legitimacy. He argued that the leader’s recent message was only released as a written statement without audio or video because he is injured, scared, and on the run following the death of his father and ongoing US strikes.
- Despite Hegseth’s claim, Iranian leadership was marching in the street today. This is an image of Ali Larijani, Iran’s top National Security Advisor.
- The Trump administration temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil already at sea to increase global supply and ease rising energy prices caused by the Iran conflict. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move is a short term measure that may slightly benefit Russia financially, but critics argue it weakens pressure on Moscow and represents a major shift from earlier US sanctions policy.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil to lower energy prices during the Iran conflict, calling the move “wrong” and warning it could allow Russia to exploit the war to weaken Ukraine while undermining Western pressure on Moscow.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom is blaming President Donald Trump and the Iran war for rising gasoline prices, arguing the conflict caused recent spikes at the pump. Republicans and the White House counter that California’s high fuel costs stem from the state’s own policies and refinery shutdowns, while the global oil shock from the Iran conflict has intensified the political fight over who is responsible.
- Oil industry executives expressed concern to Politico after President Donald Trump posted that higher oil prices during the Iran war mean the United States “makes a lot of money,” with some in the industry worried the comment reinforces public perceptions that oil companies profit from war and rising fuel costs even as companies face volatility and political backlash from the price spike.
- Four of the six crew members aboard a US KC-135 military refueling aircraft were confirmed dead after the plane crashed in western Iraq during operations related to the Iran war. The US military said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire and that rescue efforts for the remaining crew members were ongoing, bringing the total number of US service members killed since the conflict began on February 28 to ten, with another death attributed to a medical issue.
- President Donald Trump posted on social media during the Iran conflict that the United States was attacking Iran’s leadership, calling them “deranged scumbags” and saying, “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today… I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so,” as part of escalating rhetoric amid ongoing US and Israeli strikes against Iranian targets.
- A fundraising email from Donald Trump promotes a “National Security Briefing Membership” for supporters who donate, promising private briefings and insider updates on threats facing the United States. The message also uses an image from a dignified transfer ceremony for fallen US service members, which critics say politicizes a solemn military event and raises ethical concerns about linking national security themed access to campaign fundraising.
- During a live interview, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was suddenly pulled off air after being told that “the President wants you right away.” When he returned to the broadcast, observers noted that his voice sounded noticeably shaken.
- When asked by a reporter about reports that a US airstrike may have hit a girls’ school in Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to confirm details, saying the military would not let media reporting dictate its response. He added that in the conflict with Iran, the United States is the only side that “literally never targets civilians.”
- A French soldier, Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, was killed and six others were wounded in a drone attack on a Kurdish military base in the Irbil region of Iraq. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the strike as “unacceptable,” saying French troops are stationed there solely to fight ISIS and that the war with Iran cannot justify attacks on them.
- Turkey said NATO air defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a third ballistic missile launched from Iran toward Turkish territory. The Turkish Defense Ministry said it is taking all necessary measures to protect its airspace and is seeking clarification from Iran, while reports also described an overnight explosion near the Incirlik military base in southern Turkey where US and allied troops are stationed.
- An AFP investigation found that thousands of Chinese fishing boats have been gathering in large geometric formations in the East China Sea, with experts suggesting the coordinated activity may be part of preparations for a potential regional crisis or conflict.
- The US economy grew at a slower than expected annual rate of 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter, significantly below earlier estimates and far weaker than the previous quarter’s growth. The slowdown comes as the economy enters the Iran war period, with rising oil prices, job losses, and cautious consumer spending raising concerns about additional inflation and potential economic instability if the conflict continues.
- Authorities told NBC News that the man suspected of carrying out a car ramming attack at a synagogue in the Detroit area had recently lost several family members in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Officials said two of his brothers, who were reportedly affiliated with Hezbollah, as well as his niece and nephew were killed in the strike, though investigators have not yet determined whether that event was connected to the motive for the attack.
- Two California Democratic lawmakers said they would return political donations from Flock, a company that operates AI powered license plate reader cameras, amid concerns that its data could be accessed by federal immigration authorities and used to support deportation efforts. Privacy advocates and lawmakers worry the technology could allow federal agencies to track people in ways that violate California’s data sharing restrictions.
- According to the Guardian, court testimony revealed that ICE agents in Oregon were instructed to aim for about eight arrests per day and used a surveillance app called Elite to identify neighborhoods and individuals to target. The disclosures came during a federal lawsuit challenging warrantless detentions, with a judge criticizing the tactics and ruling that such arrests in Oregon violated constitutional protections.
- Michael Cohen appeared on Lara Trump’s show and said he is working with Laura Loomer to launch a new podcast together.
- Dale Steele, a 100 year old World War II veteran from Nebraska who helped concentration camp survivors and guarded Nazi leaders during the Nuremberg trials, became the oldest known organ donor in the United States after his liver was successfully transplanted following his death, demonstrating that organ donation depends more on health than age.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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